Greenpeace
launches the new version of Energy [R]evolution for India
Replacing fossil fuel with renewable energy
will create more jobs and provide cheap electricity
16th
November 2012, New Delhi – Greenpeace today launched the second version of the Indian
Energy [R]evolution1 - a roadmap to secure India’s growing energy
needs without having to depend on the depleting and polluting fossil fuels. The
roadmap comes at a critical time when the country is facing massive power
shortage due to the inability of fossil fuels to meet its economic aspirations.
Future of India’s growth lies with massive expansion and deployment of
renewable energy technologies through key policy reforms and significant
investments, without putting any negative impact on its pristine forest and
dependent marginalised communities. The India Energy [R]evolution report
jointly drafted by Greenpeace, the
Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and the European Renewable Energy Council
(EREC) focuses on the socio-economic impacts of renewable energy and proposes
the pathway to ensure India’s energy security in the long run. Earlier
this year, the three organisations released the Global Energy [R]evolution (2) which
highlighted the severe energy constraint the world is facing due to its
over-dependence on fossil fuel.
“Recent electricity grid failure and severe power shortage due to rising
electricity demand constantly reminds us that coal and other fossil fuels have no
future and their era of dominance is over. There is no cheap coal available
without destroying forests, displacing people and wild animals and it is a heavy
price to pay without any guarantee to meet the growing demand.” said Greenpeace
India Senior Energy Campaigner Abhishek Pratap. “A transition to renewable
energy is the best and the only option for the government to secure the future
growth of our nation.” added Pratap.
With over 30
crore people still waiting to see light in their home and industrial production
going into slump with 7 % production loss last year due to lack of electricity
supply, India faces a formidable challenge to build up its energy
infrastructure fast enough to keep pace with economic and social changes. India
needs to meet its twin objective of sustaining high GDP-based economic growth
and providing access of modern energy infrastructure to its people while at the
same time, maintaining its pledge to not exceed its per-capita emission from
that of developed nations. There is a need to diversify the country’s energy
generation and distribution through massive public and private investment for
ensuring the energy security of the nation.
“With
consistent and long term renewable energy policy frame work, India could build
up a local renewable energy industry with an annual turnover of more than-INR
54,000 crore, creating more up to 24 lakh jobs by 2020. These investments in
new renewable power plants will lead to fuel cost savings paying back the
overall investments between now and 2050 two times over,” says Sven Teske, Senior
Energy Expert from Greenpeace International. “It is a win-win strategy for
India to combine security of energy supply and job creation,” Teske added.
Highlights of the India
Energy [R]evolution:
·
With significant shift to
renewable energy and energy efficiency at a long-term basis will enable saving
of around one-fourth of energy spending.
·
By 2050, India’s almost entire energy
infrastructure i.e. 92 % will be based on renewable energy sources like Solar
(Photovoltaic & Concentrated Solar Power), Wind (On-shore & off-shore)
and Geothermal Energy.
·
The job generation potential of
renewable energy and energy efficiency domains can be two to three times that
of conventional energy for e.g. coal, oil. Currently India’s renewable energy
industry employs 2 lakh people. However, this can be jumped to 14 times by 2030
if Energy [R]evolution pathway is taken. In the next eight years itself, 24
lakh new jobs will be created in the renewable energy sector if proper
investments are made.
·
There will be significant
reduction or in fact stability in the pricing of electricity generation which
remains at INR 3.70 per unit by 2050.
·
Total avg. yearly
investment in fossil power to the tune of INR 1, 00,000 crore will be offset
through growth of RE. E[R] proposes that the average renewable energy
investment per year will be close to INR 6, 10, 000 crore from 2011-2050.
·
CO2 emission per capita
[t/per capita] will go down from 1.4 to a 0.3 ton by year 2050
“India is one of the
most dynamic markets for wind energy in the world today”, said Steve Sawyer,
Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council. “The reference target for
wind power of 15,000 MW in the 12th Plan Period (April 2012 thru March 2017)
should be easily reached; and much more could be achieved with stable, long
term support policies, ideally in the context of a National Renewable Energy
law. This would send a clear signal to investors about the government’s vision
for the scope and potential of wind power, and other renewable energy
technologies.” Sawyer added.
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